The invention relates generally to the field of carts used for supermarkets and the like, and is directed particularly to a novel over-the-counter cart having a metal frame and a plastic basket.
The over-the-counter (i.e., OTC) carts of the prior art have baskets entirely of wire construction wherein the front basket rotates from a horizontal to a vertical position relative to the cart frame when not in use. A basket made entirely of wire construction, however, produces a basket that is unsatisfactory. First, it is very difficult for some people to either raise the basket to a vertical position or lower it to a horizontal position because of its weight. Second, the basket, in its horizontal position, has approximately the same height as a small child; consequently, the accidental dropping of the basket from its vertical position to a horizontal position could cause severe injury to a child that is struck thereby. This potential danger to small children has caused a great concern in the industry. Third, such prior art over-the-counter baskets are difficult to push and to maneuver, especially if they have some malfunction of the wheels.
Some over-the-counter carts in the prior art have a front gate which can be retracted to accommodate computer checkout scanning systems. In the grocery industry the trend at the checkout counter is rapidly moving toward what is known as scanning. This terms covers the pricing of merchandise by lines preprinted on the label of the product. The area of the package is passed over a glass section in the counter containing a scanning system; this mechanism is connected to the cash register which in turn is tied into the company's computer. Not only does the scanner display the price of the merchandise on the cash register tape, but it prints opposite it a description of the merchandise. In addition, the system signals to the company's computer that a sale has been made, records the margin of profit on the item, and deducts the items from the store's inventory. As a result of this system, the store is able to figure its profits daily as well as to maintain a constant control for purposes of reordering as well as elimination of items which have a slow turnover. If a prior art over-the-counter basket, without a retracting front gate is used with the scanner mechanisms, the front gate will interfere with the optical field of view of the scanner. It is necessary, therefore, to design a front panel to prevent obstructing the scanner. Ideally, over-the-counter cards and particularly those used in modern supermarkets and grocery stores should have the following characteristics:
1. They should be lighter in weight than prior art carts;
2. The basket should accommodate a computer checkout scanner system;
3. They should be able to withstand a great deal of abuse, particularly to the basket portion;
4. They should be easy to push and to maneuver;
5. They should not have a propensity to collect dirt and contaminates;
6. They should be able to withstand cleaning by strong detergents;
7. They should have sides of open latticework construction to allow customers to observe the contents of the cart from any angle; and
8. They should be attractive and should maintain their attractiveness over a longer period of time.
The prior art over-the-counter carts are constructed of open wirework construction do not satisfy all of the requirements set forth above. As mentioned in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,774 directed to a non-OTC cart with a stationary plastic basket, the deficiencies have chiefly to do with the basket portion. The wires in the basket are welded at the crossing points, and the basket is then chrome plated, the latter to provide a smooth, cleanable attractive surface. The welding process for such an item is intricate, as is the plating process. Frequently, due to a series of impacts over a period of time, the wire welds and the plating are broken. The plating is also subject to being removed by wear and by scraping against other objects. In addition to impact, the OTC baskets of the prior art are subject to having their open wirework construction corrode; that is the base metal exposed at the broken plating and broken wells will corrode. The cart, and particularly the basket, becomes unsightly and unattractive. At those same exposed points, food particles can become entrapped in small cracks and crevices, even if the baskets are periodically cleaned, resulting in unsanitary conditions. Additionally, articles placed in the basket can become pinched or snared by the unsecured wires and plating, thereby resulting in inconvenience to the customer and inflicting damage to the goods.
In addition to impact with other carts, the over-the-counter wire basket can be easily damaged by rotating the basket from its vertical position to its horizontal position and forcibly contacting the horizontal frame position. This impact of the basket with the horizontal frame can cause the basket to be deformed inwardly, giving rise to all of the above problems.
The impact problems previously mentioned give rise to another problem; repair of the wire-work constructed OTC basket. Not only is it difficult to bend deformed wires back into shape, it is difficult and expensive to reweld and replate them. The cart frame and the baskets are often integral with one another in prior art over-the-counter carts, and therefore they can not easily be taken apart to allow repair or replacement of the components. Replacement of the baskets require welds to be broken and are placed. Furthermore, complicated bending and interlocking of wires are necessary during disassembly and assembly. Frequently, the over-the-counter cart is simply not prepared; rather it is discarded when it becomes too unsightly or too unsanitary to be used.
Even the over-the-counter carts of the prior art which are in prime condition fail to meet the above requirements of lightness and compatibility to modern checkout scanner systems. Some of the other requirements are met if the basket is in prime condition; however, the wire over-the-counter carts in the prior art deteriorate rather quickly and soon become unsatisfactory in fulfilling a number of these requirements.